I wrote just a little while ago:

> While you can FCOPY a PostScript text file that's resident on the HP3000 to
a
>  printer, it is easier and greatly more efficient to have a specifically
>  written program to perform the task.

Let me elaborate on what I just wrote. There is nothing magic about printing
a PostScript file to a printer on the HP3000. PostScript is merely a series
of commands that look very much like HTML and written in the same manner onto
a flat ASCII text file.

But more than that, PostScript is extremely tolerant of intervening CR's,
LF's, NULL's and the like. Indeed, all characters outside of the decimal
range 32 - 127 are ignored in PostScript. Nor is line length much of a
consideration. Lines can range from one ASCII character per line to infinity,
with every possible combination of massively blank-filled text in between
whatever PostScript commands that might lie in the line. PostScript is FORTH,
and it is handled in the same manner.

The only thing that PostScript is completely intolerant of is missing
characters, as might occur in an abnormally truncated line, or the
interjection of unintended characters that might occur in a numbered editor
file.

Otherwise, if the material you want to print is on the HP3000 in almost any
sort of file format and you can devise a method to stream it to the required
LDEV number, it will generally print.

However, for debugging purposes, it is always wise to turn PS ERRORS on in
the target printer. If PostScript fails, it fails completely and with no
indication of any sort that it didn't work if you don't have PS ERRORS on.

Wirt Atmar

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *